Box-folding machine



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W. LBDBRER. BOX FOLDING MACHINE.

10.599,615. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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W LEDERER BOX FOLDING MACHINE.

N0. 599,615. lPatented Feb. 22, 1898.

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Nrrnn STATES BOX-FOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,615, dated February 22, 1898.

Application tiled May 17, 1897. Serial No. 636,936. (No model.)

' .To @ZZ whom t may concern:

, pasteboard boxes.

It also consists of certain details of mechanism, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of the machine, partially in section, on the line l l in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe same. Figs. 3 and 4 are sections taken on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a box-blank scored ready for folding.

My invention is designed particularlyfor handling pasteboard in makingboxes, and-is adapted to take the box-blanks as they come `from a sc oring-machine and fold them into their proper shape, at the same time pasting one edge and securing these edges together. The scoring-machine is attached to the end of the machine which is shown at the left in Figs. l and 2.

Any form of scoring-machine may be used, and as it forms no part of my present invention it is not herein illustrated or described.

The frame A of the machine is provided at the end next to the scoring-machine or that end whichis at the left in Figs. 1 and 2 with a cross-bar A', which has slots c and I3 in its horizontal and vertical webs. The slotc is used in securing the longitudinal plates B to the cross-bar A'. These plates B are each secured by a bolt Z9, passing through the end thereof and through the slot c. lBy these means the plates B may be adjusted to any width desired. The machine may therefore be adjusted for boxes of any size. It may be set to make several small boxes at once or one large box. This will depend entirely upon its adjustment and the size of the box.

As shown in Fig. 2, it is set for making two boxes simultaneously.

The plates B are unsupported between their ends, and their outer free ends are normallysupported upon the rollers E2. Extending across the machine beneath the plates B at the end from which the blanks are fed to the machine is a shaft I', which has mounted thereon paste-wheels I2. These wheels are adjustable to any point upon the shaft and dipinto paste-tanks I, which are also adj ust able by means of a bolt passing through a slot I3 in the vertical flange of the cross-bar A. These paste-wheels are adjusted so as to contact with the under side of one edge of the blank.

Extending across the machine and above the plates B is a series of feed-rollers D.

These feed-rollers may be made sufficiently numerous to engage the blanks and feed them forward without any other feeding mechanism.

per Ysurface of the blanks. This gives a feedin g-su rface in contact with the blanks'throu ghout their entire length and results in a more certain feed than with the use of rollers alone. The feed-rollers as well as the shaft I', carrying the paste-wheels, are connected with each other by means of sprocket-wheels upon the outer ends of the shafts and chains D and D4, connecting the same.

Atthe discharge end of the machine are placed two feed-rollers E and E. These rollers are placed so that the opening between them is in line with the plates B. The blanks C upon leaving the plates B enter this space and are grasped by the rollers E E' and pulled from the plates B,y and at the same time are compressed, so as to secure firm union between the pasted surfaces. One of the feedrollers E or El is provided with a pulley J, upon which a belt is placed for running the machine. The feed-rollers D are connected to the feed-roller E by means of the two gears D?, one of the gears being placed upon an idler, and a sprocket-chain D2 connects the shaft of the idler with the shaft of the adjacent feed-roller D.

Extending across the machine at some distance above the plates B are two shafts or I have shown, however, belts d passing about thesefeed-rollers and engaging the up- Ioo bars F and F'. These bars have depending arms G mounted thereon and secured in place by set-screws or other adjustable securing means, so that they maybe held at any point on the bars. The arms G depend to or near the plates B, and at their lower ends are provided with means for holding the foldingfingers g or G. As shown in the drawings, this means consists of a collar II, secured to the arm G by a set-screwh, and having a slot II' for the reception of the folding-fingers and a set-screw 7L for clamping the same in place. To the arms G, which are mounted upon the first one of the bars F, are attached the folding-fingers g, which extend downward and toward the edges of the plates B. To the arms G upon the other bar F are secured fingers G', which are similar to the fingers g except that they are provided with means at their outer ends for holding a second set of fingers. As shown in Fig. 4:, this means consists of a yoke and a set-screw. The first set of folding-fingers G extends downward and inward and the second set G2 extends inward and upward. (See Fig. +L.)

The pasteboard blank from which the box is to be made is fed in sheets to the scorer, which cuts it to the proper size and at the same time creases the paper at the points where it is to be folded. These strips, which are of the proper width to form a box, are then presented automatically to the folder. The blank C is represented in Fig. 5 and is shown as scored at C', C2, C3, and C7. These blanks come from the scoring-machine directly to the feeder and are first passed over the pastingwheels I2 and have one edge pasted. As they are advanced in the feeder their outer edges first come in contact with the folding-fingers g, which bend the outer ends of the blanks down to a vertical position, as shown at C and CG in Fig. 3. As they advance farther these edges come in contact with the folding-fingers G and G2 and are folded against the underside of the plates B, as shown in Fig. it. The second set of foldin g-fingers is arranged so that the fingers upon one side act a little in advance of those upon the other side. By this arrangement the edge which has been pasted is folded last. In consequence said edge laps over the other edge and the pasted surface comes in contact with the outer edge of the blank instead of the plates B. The blank at this point has become a fiat tube. The further advance of the tube causes it to slide over the roller E2 and off the plates B. It is then engaged by the feed-rollers E and E', which pull it entirely off of the plates and compress the parts together.

As discharged from the machine the boxes are in the form of flattened tubes.

These tubes may be made the same length as the box if the box is of some size. In other cases the tube should be the length of several boxes in order to obtain a more certain and reliable action of the machine. In such cases the tubes are taken to a suitable machine and cut the length desired.

My machine may be set to make any box which is not greater than its capacity. The plates B may be made quite narrow or a single plate or bar may be used which will enable the machine to make Very small boxes. The plates or bars are adjustable to any width and may therefore be set to accommodate any size of box desired. It is not necessary that the bars or plates be accurately set so long as they are not too far apart. It is, in fact, desirable that the outer edges of the plates shall not extend to the line of the score upon which the pasteboard blank is folded.

This machine may also be used for making any number of boxes which do not require a greater amount of material than the width of the machine. The folding-fingers may also be adjusted at any angle and may consequently be set so as to secure the best results.

My machine is not intended for completing the boxes, but simply to fold and paste the body of the box. The box is then finished by hand. The use of my machine will, however, result in a large saving of cost of manufacture of boxes, as the cost of folding the pasteboard into tubes will be materially reduced as compared with handwerk.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A box folding machine, comprising plates fastened at one end and free at the other, blank-feeding means cooperating with the plates to feed the blanks lengthwise of the plates,a bar extending across the machine, depending arms slidably attached to said bar, and folding-fingers adj ustably attached to the arms and adapted to bend down the edges of the blanks, substantially as described.

2. A box folding machine, comprising plates fastened at one end, blank-feeding means cooperating with the plates to feed the blanks lengthwise of the plates, bars extending across the machine above the plates, depending arms slidably attached to said bars, and pairs of folding-fingers adj ustably fixed to each other and one pair fixed upon the depending arms, said fingers engaging the edges of the blanks and bending the same under the longitudinal plates, substantially as described.

VILLIAM LEDERER.

IVitnesses:

JOHN F. BALFER, SAMUEL S. DOROFF.

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